To take flight
by Grilled Cheesby
Summary: Itachi leaves Sasuke in a pool of blood that doesn't belong to him and a clan of only one. Canon Divergence: Soulmate AU ItaSasu KuraNaru Focused on SasuNaru Friendship. (Part 1 of 2; sequel posted 'To change fate'.)
1. to flee

_Crossposted from my ao3 account._

 **Full Summary:** _Sasuke watches Itachi kill their parents in cold blood and he cries and rages, but in the back of his mind he's confused. He sees the coldness in Itachi's eyes and the contempt on his face, but his soul aches. Itachi's emotions are a whirlwind of fear, regret, and they feel to Sasuke as if they're losing themselves in guilt. The emotion Itachi is giving to Sasuke does not match what he's trying to emote from his face._

 _Itachi leaves Sasuke in a pool of blood that doesn't belong to him and a clan of only one._

 **Warnings: Sibling Incest**

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Chapter 1: to flee

Sasuke likes birds. They sing in the morning and he's not even angry that they wake him up because their voices are just so pretty. They tweet in a jovial manner and they know the true meaning of freedom. They soar in the sky and go places that he only wishes he could see.

Sasuke likes song birds and twittering, tiny birds, but his favorite birds are crows. He's heard other clan members complain about what a nuisance the birds can be, but Sasuke loves them. Their caws aren't as pretty as the other birds, not as soothing, but crows are loud and strong and whenever Sasuke hears them, they remind him of Itachi.

Crows are important to Itachi, so they're important to Sasuke. Crows define their bond, so Sasuke will have no other bird as his favorite. After all, it is a large flock of crows that are spread out across his back.

He's only seen them once. The skin on his back had always been darker than his natural skin tone, always hinting that his soulmark would be large and that it would show up before too long. He's playing in the bath, his mother gently washing his back, when he suddenly feels a burning. He cries and whines at the sensation, he's all but two and he doesn't deal well with pain (not yet, anyway) and his mother's distressed gasp just makes him more uncomfortable.

"Kaa-san!" Sasuke cries, slapping at the water. "It hurts!"

"Shh," his mother hisses, her eyes not leaving his back. She picks him up out of the water and quickly towels him off, deliberately ignoring his squirming.

The ache in his back has already died out and Sasuke would've forgotten all about it except his mother lightly ran a hand down his back and started to cry.

"Oh no! Kaa-san?" Sasuke asked inquisitively, concerned at seeing his mother's sad eyes.

"My poor baby," is what his mother says over and over again. She rearranges him so he has a body length mirror behind him and a simple hand mirror in from of him.

This is the first and last time he sees his soulmark.

The crows are simultaneously huge on his back, but so incredibly small due to his size. They start on the right side of his lower back and they look as if they're taking flight. They stretch their wings and flow all the way to the other wide of his back, before swinging and taking a sharp right to have the biggest crow's beak end right where his back and right shoulder meet.

Sasuke thinks it's beautiful. He likes birds already, but his brother's favorite birds are crows, so Sasuke is even more excited at the prospect. Then Sasuke tilts his head a little, his young brain trying to figure out where he's seen this pattern before.

His brother.

Sasuke's face breaks out in a smile and he knows his eyes are sparkling with delight. He shares his soulmark with his brother. That means he and Itachi will always be together. He finally manages to tear his eyes way from his flock to look at his mother and his mood abruptly turns south.

She's crying more than she was before and it registers to Sasuke that they aren't happy tears. His mother reaches for the first aid kit that lies beneath the sink and then she proceeds to wraps gauze around Sasuke's chest and back. It wraps around him and soon he can no longer glimpse his soulmark in the mirror.

"Kaa-san?" Sasuke asks, confused and upset.

"No one can ever know," she whispers, taking his face in her hands. She gives him a sad smile before taking him to be dressed in his room.

For the next few years he is ignorant to why his mother reacted the way she did. Sasuke wants to tell Itachi about his discovery, but he remembers his mother's sad eyes and chooses to refrain. It's when he's six years old and hears his father talk of arranged marriages that he understands.

His mother holds him as he cries that night. His Itachi was to be married to whomever their father chose. Soulmarks would play no role in the decision.

"Why can't he be with me?" Sasuke asks as he sobs into his mother's hold.

"You're brothers," she replies weakly, like the argument would hold any weight.

Sasuke doesn't care if they're brothers. They're meant to be; the matching marks prove it. He cries and despairs for the next year, knowing that he can't share why he's so miserable.

His sadness is what makes it take so long from him to realize that somethings wrong with Itachi. Sasuke has always been able to feel something of what Itachi feels. Some soulmates work like that while others don't. Sasuke knows that Itachi doesn't experience the brief flashes into Sasuke's emotional state like Sasuke can do to Itachi. When Sasuke finally realizes that the crippling dread and fear isn't coming from him, it's too late.

Sasuke watches Itachi kill their parents in cold blood and he cries and rages, but in the back of his mind he's confused. He sees the coldness in Itachi's eyes and the contempt on his face, but his soul aches. Itachi's emotions are a whirlwind of fear, regret, and they feel to Sasuke as if they're losing themselves in guilt. The emotion Itachi is giving to Sasuke does not match what he's trying to emote from his face.

Itachi leaves Sasuke in a pool of blood that doesn't belong to him and a clan of only one.

Sasuke doesn't talk for a long time after that. He doesn't understand what's happened. He gets that his clan is dead, that Itachi did it. He knows that happened because he saw it with his own eyes. But his heart, his soul, knows something else is going on. Something was wrong that night. Itachi didn't want to kill anybody, Sasuke knows that down to his bones, so it perplexes Sasuke as to why Itachi did it.

Sasuke keeps his soulmark covered at all times. He alternates covering it up with gauze and bandages. He's gotten so good at it that he can close his eyes and only occasionally get glimpses of wings taking flight.

He almost let's himself drown in his sorrow, in his confusion and betrayal. He feels the empty space where Itachi should be, feels the coldness that is a constant pulsing in his chest. He should give up on ever understanding why Itachi did what he did. He should focus on being the best shinobi he can be, focus on being better than the traitor his soulmate turned out to be.

Then he meets Naruto Uzumaki and his convictions change.


	2. to flock together

**Chapter summary:** _Sasuke was already familiar with Naruto, of course. He was the prankster, the kid that came to the shinobi academy, but would never graduate. He was disruptive and loud, and while Sasuke might've found him a little amusing before, after experiencing the murder of his entire clan, Naruto's goofing off no longer looks fun, but rather like a childish tantrum._

 _Sasuke does his best to ignore him, and it mostly works the first few years after the massacre. They already know that they're competing against each other, know they don't like each other, but if Sasuke keeps his mouth shut, Naruto will glare and huff, but he won't engage._

 _Sasuke should've kept his mouth shut._

 **Story warnings apply.**

* * *

Chapter 2: to flock together

Sasuke was already familiar with Naruto, of course. He was the prankster, the kid that came to the shinobi academy, but would never graduate. He was disruptive and loud, and while Sasuke might've found him a little amusing before, after experiencing the murder of his entire clan, Naruto's goofing off no longer looks fun, but rather like a childish tantrum.

Sasuke does his best to ignore him, and it mostly works the first few years after the massacre. They already know that they're competing against each other, know they don't like each other, but if Sasuke keeps his mouth shut, Naruto will glare and huff, but he won't engage.

Sasuke should've kept his mouth shut.

He's sitting there, avoiding the first group of girls that would soon become his famous fangirl followers, when he happens to spy Naruto over in the practice area. He's standing with a sensei and Sasuke watches in confusion as the man points to change Naruto's stance. Naruto holds the stance and stumbles as he starts going through the taijutsu set. The sensei nods encouragingly at Naruto, before making his way back into the building. Sasuke watches Naruto twist and fall over and over again before he can't take it anymore.

He's beside Naruto in a second and blurts out, "You're doing it wrong."

"What?!" Naruto shouts angrily, stopping his katas. "Nu-uh! Kaito-sensei showed me!"

"Kaito-sensei is wrong!" Sasuke snaps, stamping his foot on the ground. He rushes at Naruto and has effectively maneuvered Naruto into the correct stance before the blond even realizes what's happened. He looks outraged that Sasuke was helping him, but also slightly bewildered.

"You…" Naruto starts off. His sentence trails as he looks down at his body. "You touched me."

"So?" Sasuke asks. "You were doing it wrong. I had to fix it."

Naruto continues to stare down at himself before slowly raising his eyes to meet Sasuke's. Very slowly, Naruto goes throughout the motions of his katas with the correct stance, his face slowly forming a grin as he doesn't stumble over any awkward movements.

"Wow," he says, his voice a surprised whisper when he finishes.

Sasuke is slightly disconcerted because Naruto is never quiet and the blond has yet to say anything else. He's considering leaving and going back into hiding, before Naruto suddenly let's out a sob and crashes onto the ground.

"What?" Sasuke asks dumbfounded as Naruto sits there and curls up, crying into his knees.

"N-no one has e-ever ac-actually he-helped me b-before," Naruto sobs out, uncurling slightly. He wears the saddest smile Sasuke has ever seen. "Thank you."

Sasuke stands there frozen in place. Naruto's face is so earnest, so incredibly grateful, that Sasuke is suddenly putting several things together. Naruto is always alone. Naruto goofs off, but only because when he doesn't goof off, he's invisible. Sasuke realizes with mounting horror that if Naruto didn't prank the teacher or shout, Sasuke would probably go the entire day without realizing Naruto was there. Naruto is bad at school because the teachers are making it so. Sasuke doesn't understand why they're doing it, why they're sabotaging Naruto's chances at becoming a ninja, but Sasuke is suddenly so incredibly furious.

Naruto is crying in joy because someone took the time to touch him and correct his stance. Naruto is so lonely that Sasuke's act made out of boredom, and not kindness, brought him to happy tears.

This is when Sasuke's convictions change for the first time.

"I'll help you from now on," he says confidently.

"What?" Naruto asks, shocked. His eyes are blinking away tears as he stands to face Sasuke. "Really?"

"Yeah," Sasuke replies as nonchalantly as possible. "You need it and I wouldn't mind having a sparring partner who knows what they're doing."

Naruto's face is about to break out into a grin, Sasuke can just tell, but something stops him short. Instead, his brow furrows and he's biting his lip so hard Sasuke is surprised there's no blood.

"What about your parents? Won't they be upset that you're helping me?" Naruto asks in a whisper, his head bowed.

Sasuke stops for a moment. His thoughts going to his parents. It's only been a few years, but already their faces a blurring. Sasuke doesn't remember the good times anymore. He remembers angry words from his father and hushes made to silence him from his mother. He knows they cared, knows they loved him to the best of their abilities, but his memories are blinded by the incredibly clear vision of Itachi's face that final night.

"No," Sasuke says finally, breaking the silence. "They're dead; what they don't know won't hurt them."

Naruto's head snaps up, his eyes wide. "Y-You're an orphan too?"

Sasuke tilts his head, taking Naruto in. Most of the other academy students are more than aware that the Uchiha clan has been wiped out, but it seems as if Naruto has been blind to anything that did not directly happen to him.

"Yeah," Sasuke replies. "They were killed."

"Your mom and dad?" Naruto asks in shock, his eyes wide.

"My entire clan," Sasuke says slowly, tasting the words on his tongue.

He's never actually said it out loud, he realizes. He knows they're dead; he lives in an empty clan compound, after all. Yet, he never spoke to anyone about it afterwards. It was always someone else saying it to him, not the other way around.

"My entire clan," he repeats, feeling his eyes prickle suddenly. It only takes moment for Sasuke to realize he's crying.

"Oh," Naruto says sadly, watching him. "My parents died when I was a baby."

Sasuke sniffles and wipes away the tears. He knew Naruto was an orphan, as did everybody, but he hadn't realized Naruto had never even gotten the chance to know his parents.

"So, do you wanna train together or not?" Sasuke asks finally. His eyes are red, he just knows it, but the tears have stopped. He stands up straight and does his best to look into Naruto's eyes.

"Yeah!" Naruto shouts with a sudden burst of energy. "Believe it!"

Sasuke is surprised to find himself softly smiling.

Sasuke lets his guard down around Naruto without even realizing it. Soon after their little heart to heart at the academy, they become inseparable. They train together and eat together and Sasuke even gets Naruto to reign his pranks in just a little bit, so that he can study more. They shout and argue at each other, but they also rage at the treatment Naruto receives from the village.

Sasuke had been blind to how others reacted to Naruto until he was on the receiving end of the looks and whispers. He's furious the first time it happens with him around. How dare those stupid civilians call his friend a monster. Naruto shrugs, like it's no big deal, and it just makes Sasuke angrier. He starts to glare at others as they pass. Scoffing at their harsh words and occasionally shouting angrily at the more violent perpetrators. Naruto doesn't ask him to stop. Sasuke will occasionally see a small smile grace Naruto's lips when Sasuke just finished chewing somebody out for their behavior, so he figures that Naruto appreciates his efforts.

Constantly being together did have one drawback.

Naruto had stayed the night at the Uchiha compound and Sasuke hadn't been thinking when he'd unwrapped the bandages covering his soulmark. He went to grab the supplies he need for a bath when he hears Naruto give a surprised intake of breath.

"Wow," Naruto whispers, "your mark is really pretty, Sasuke."

Sasuke whips around, clutching his towel tightly to his chest. He watches Naruto with wide eyes. "I..."

"Sasuke?" Naruto asks after a minute.

"I…You really think so?" Sasuke finally blurts out, his cheeks coloring at his unusual behavior.

"Well, yeah. Birds are cool!" Naruto says, nodding his head.

"They're crows," Sasuke supplies, suddenly feeling just a bit warmer.

"That's so cool!" Naruto says, jumping up in excitement. "Have you met your one yet?"

Sasuke's entire being shifts. He loses the color in his cheeks and he can feel himself grow colder as Itachi's blank eyes flutter into his mind.

"Sasuke?" Naruto asks inquisitively, watching him with caution.

"He killed my clan," Sasuke says slowly. His eyes are wide and his face far more pale than it usually is. "My one is my brother."

Naruto stares at Sasuke for a few short moments, seemingly evaluating his next words, something he usually finds no time to do.

"Do you miss him?" is what comes out after a while.

Sasuke stares at Naruto for what seems like forever. He sees the good times and the bad times and he remembers the first and only time he really looked at his mark. He remembers the absolute joy at being forever connected to Itachi. He remembers the moon and the darkness that permeated his home where he found his dead parents and the mystery of Itachi's emotions. He remembers waking up at night, crying for his brother. He did not want him to face justice. Sasuke wanted his brother to come back and take him with him.

"Yes," Sasuke says finally, his gaze distant and his voice soft.

"People make fun of my mark," Naruto says suddenly.

Sasuke blinks, breaking out of his thoughts, and he takes a moment to look at Naruto.

"Your whiskers?" he finally asks.

"Marks aren't supposed to be visible," Naruto explains. "Jiji says marks are a private thing and that's why they usually appear where they can be hidden. People with visible marks aren't normal."

Sasuke is aware that the Hokage was like Naruto's grandfather, but he wouldn't let this stand.

"You're normal," Sasuke says. "You don't get to decide where your marks appear. Besides, making them visible seems smart to me! This way, you'll know when you finally meet them!"

Naruto blinks in surprise at Sasuke, like he's never really thought on whether or not the Hokage's words had made sense.

"We'll find them," Sasuke reassure him.

"And you'll get your brother back," is Naruto's immediate response.

Sasuke can almost feel his world shifting once more.


	3. to cry in understanding

**Chapter Summary:** _A group of crows is called a murder,_ is Naruto's first thought. _Oh_ , is his second.

 **Story warnings apply.**

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Chapter 3: to cry in understanding

Naruto has been alone for what seems like forever. He's had Jiji and Iruka-sensei has been so nice to him, but what Naruto craves is a friend. Naruto might not have parents, will never get the opportunity to meet the woman who gave birth to him or the man he was going to call dad, but he still has the chance to have friends. He could make his own family, he just knows it. It's why it hurts so bad that no one will give him a chance.

Naruto is looking for a family that is made by choice, not blood. Naruto wants to meet people who chose him, even when they have someone of their own blood out there.

When Naruto first meets Sasuke Uchiha, he envies him. Sasuke is so close with his older brother, always smiling as he holds his mother's hand when it's her rare turn to take Sasuke to the academy, instead of his brother. He's smiling and talented and Naruto despairs because Sasuke has a life that Naruto craves. He's also someone Naruto wants to befriend.

He's the perfect example of someone who has family, who has someone already beside him. If Naruto can become friends with Sasuke, it might finally prove to the others around him that he's not awful. He's not some monster orphan that nobody can ever love. It will prove that he deserves the other person that has whiskers across their face.

It doesn't work out that well. Naruto is loud and unforgiving with his opinions. When he first voices his intention of befriending Sasuke, he is dismissed. Not by Sasuke, but by others around them. Sasuke has to find him annoying, everybody else does, but he never outright rejects Naruto. Naruto's loudness attracts Sasuke's attention and it brightens Naruto's day when he sees Sasuke rolling his eyes at his antics.

 _Sasuke is paying attention_ , Naruto thinks, _Sasuke could be listening to whatever their sensei is saying, but instead he's listening to me._

Sasuke isn't Naruto's soulmate. Naruto knows that just from looking at his whiskerless face; but Sasuke could be something just as good to him. Sasuke smiles and laughs with his family and Naruto has focused so much attention on that aspect of just one kid, that even as he grows slightly closer to Shikamaru, Kiba, and even Choji, his focus on Sasuke never falters. Sasuke has the life Naruto craves and if he can get Sasuke to care about him, maybe Naruto has a chance to gain access to that life.

Then one day Sasuke isn't smiling anymore. He had been gone for a week before that. He finally showed up one morning, walking to the academy alone. Naruto has seen that vacant expression before, always on his own face, and he's devastated to see it on Sasuke's. He doesn't know what's happened, why Sasuke is acting like he's hurting, but Naruto won't let him stay that way.

Naruto gets louder and more disruptive and every time, Sasuke stays blank. There's no more eye rolling and no more choking on laughter that's being held back. His amused looks have turned to despondent glares and his eyes are always on the front of the classroom or occasionally looking out the window, but they no longer stray to Naruto.

Sasuke no longer has fun when they spar. He holds nothing back and when he fights Naruto in front of the class, he doesn't try to hold back for Naruto's benefit. He is mean and harsh and Naruto mourns because he never wanted this. He never wanted Sasuke to look so defeated, even after he's won. He's the growing star of their academy year, yet he has yet to smile since that one lonely morning.

Years go by and Naruto tries his best, he always will, no matter what, but he feels his disappointment every day. His arguments with Sasuke will go down in academy history. Their arguing has the undercurrent of a deep rivalry that will follow them for the rest of their lives and Naruto finds he can't regret it. He wants Sasuke's friendship, he wants a bond that is almost as treasured as a soulmate bond. He'll take eternal rivals because rivals still means that he's something to somebody.

Then one day he's practicing his blocking and strikes, and unfortunately failing miserably, when Sasuke is suddenly in his face. He is correcting Naruto, something Naruto is used to, but it's when Sasuke reaches out and moves his body that Naruto is struck.

They've touched before, of course. They've hit and punched and kicked and bumped each other throughout their short lives, but they've never just touched without the intent to hurt. In fact, Naruto thinks dizzily, Sasuke just joined a very short list of people who have touched him without the intent to cause harm.

He can't stop himself from crying and, even after Sasuke has gotten him to stop, he feels tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He can feel it down to his bones that this is the turning point.

He's proven right when he finally learns why Sasuke was so upset all those years ago.

He follows Sasuke home after they're let out that day. He makes sure he's a few steps behind Sasuke, not letting the civilians know that he's with the other boy, as they move along. When they reach the Uchiha compound and enter to a deafening silence, a silence that is so strong that Naruto feels it pressing down against him, Naruto makes it a point to finally step up beside Sasuke and start making conversation. He's loud and he asks questions about the compound as delicately as he can.

Sasuke lets him stay until dinner and then Naruto leaves without being asked to. He doesn't want to overstay his welcome. Of course, he follows Sasuke home the next day and the day after that until he always goes to Sasuke's house after getting out of the academy for the day. The first weekend of their new friendship, Naruto finds himself on the fence on whether he should go seek Sasuke out. Sasuke answers his question by showing up fifteen minutes later and dragging him back to the compound.

Soon enough, Naruto finds himself referring to Sasuke's house as his home. Naruto's hope that Sasuke is becoming something to him, and vice versa, seems to have foundation. Then one night Naruto sees the soulmark tattoo on Sasuke's back.

It's beautiful. The birds are a gradient of color, Naruto notices. They are a blueish black toward the bottom of Sasuke's back, but then they transition to something so deeply dark as they reach his shoulder. The birds are familiar and when Sasuke quietly responds that they're crows, Naruto is impressed. Crows know what it takes to survive. For Sasuke's bond to be represented as a flock of crows shows that whoever he's meant to be with must have some type of intuitive survival instinct.

"He killed my clan," Sasuke says in reply to Naruto inquiry to his one's identity. Sasuke's eyes shine with a desperation that Naruto has never seen before. "My one is my brother."

 _A group of crows is called a murder,_ is Naruto's first thought. _Oh_ , is his second.

Naruto sees the fear in Sasuke's eyes, so the first words out of his mouth aren't what he's just thought, but what he really wants to know.

"Do you miss him?"

Naruto sees Sasuke go through a range of emotion. His eyes gleaming with unshed tears. Sasuke fidgets for a time, obviously thinking over his answer carefully. He finally raises his head, but his gaze is glazed over and unfocused, almost like he's looking at something far away. He says, "Yes," in a quiet whisper.

Naruto watches him slowly get lost in his pain and before he can think about it, he blurts out, "People make fun of my mark."

Sasuke understands, of course he understands, and Naruto tears up as Sasuke defends him from the truth. Naruto's marks are on display for everyone to see and there's nothing he can do to change that. If Naruto started covering his marks now, people would see it as a sign of shame. Naruto is not ashamed. It doesn't change the fact that soulmarks are never so obvious with their placement.

Sasuke is impassioned as he assures Naruto that it makes it easier. That he should be able to find his soulmate easier because their marks are so stark.

Naruto doesn't believe him, but Sasuke wouldn't say something he doesn't mean, so Naruto still appreciates the words.

"We'll find them," Sasuke says with a nod, determination plain on his face.

"And you'll get your brother back," is Naruto's immediate response. He is hurting just as Sasuke is hurting. Their pain for their missing soulmates isn't any different from anyone else's. But Sasuke is in a situation where he's holding the string to a bond where only one side realizes it exists. Naruto is stuck with a mark that everyone can examine and judge, not just his one.

They both are struggling and Naruto can almost physically feel their friendship strengthening with this realization.

* * *

 _A/N: Now caught up with ao3. This story will always be updated there first and then cross poster over here_.


	4. to discover intent

**Chapter Summary:** _Sasuke lifts his arm and pulls Naruto closer to him. They both lay on Sasuke's bed, in his empty house, in the deserted Uchiha compound._

 _Those nights are hard for both of them._

 **Story warning apply.**

* * *

Chapter 4: to discover intent

Sasuke is constantly feeling an ache. The ache is faint, more a dull throb than a stabbing pain, but it's always there. The farther Itachi moves from Konoha, the harder it is to ignore it. Sasuke's heart always skips a beat when the throb lessens, even just the slightest, because that meant that Itachi had taken just a few more steps toward Sasuke.

Naruto is always there for him. When he aches and cries, Naruto is there to hold him and tell him that it might ache now, but it won't always.

"I feel lonely, but I don't have the ache," Naruto whispers to him one night.

"That means you're soulmates near," Sasuke replies, his eyes shut.

Naruto stays silent for a while, and Sasuke is almost convinced he fell asleep, but then Narutop shifts and Sasuke can feel his gaze on his face. He opens his eyes.

"I've never seen anyone in Konoha with my markings," Naruto says, his shakey voice betraying his otherwise calm demeanor.

Sasuke looks into Naruto's eyes and sees the pain. Naruto isn't aching from distance, but knowledge. His soulmate has to be in Konoha. Everyone knows Naruto's mark. The only explanation is that Naruto's soulmate has purposefully gone out of their way to avoid him.

Sasuke lifts his arm and pulls Naruto closer to him. They both lay on Sasuke's bed, in his empty house, in the deserted Uchiha compound.

Those nights are hard for both of them.

During the summer, when their classes at the academy are no longer in session, they run around the village, practicing what they can. Sasuke convinces Naruto to sit still long enough to watch the people around them. Civilians and ninjas alike move around the village and Sasuke feels as if he can almost call this village his home.

(And then a civilian will notice Naruto beside him and, suddenly, he knows why it still isn't.)

During one of their summer adventures, Naruto convinces Sasuke to sneak into the Hokage tower with him.

"It's not hard," Naruto reassures Sasuke after he voiced his doubts. "I go in their and explore all the time when I'm not hanging out with you."

Naruto is so excited to show Sasuke another part of his life, so Sasuke agrees.

He doesn't know if he regrets it or not.

* * *

The man is old and unfriendly looking. He is conversing with what Sasuke thinks is a ninja from ANBU, but he can't be certain. The bandages covering his face and arm are more than a little discerning. Sasuke doesn't know how he and Naruto haven't been spotted yet, can't comprehend how they managed to get lost in the Hokage tower and end up here, but he knows that luck had to be on their side for them to find this.

"Hiashi still refuses, Danzo-sama," the ninja replies in a monotone voice.

The man, Danzo, huffs from his seat and stands. "You'd think the clans would be more hesitant in their power grabbing."

The ninja opposite Danzo doesn't reply, just shifting out of the way as Danzo starts walking toward the enterance.

Sasuke and Naruto look at each other with wide eyes before they scramble around a corner, their hearts beating quickly. Sasuke is the closest to the other hallway and if Danzo happens to turn his head, he'll be the first one spotted. He holds his breath and closes his eyes, praying that the old man will continue on right pass their hiding spot.

"We wouldn't want another incident like the Uchiha clan, now would we?" are Danzo's parting words. The two walk pass the alcove they're hiding in and around the corner.

Naruto let's out a relieved breath, slumping next to Sasuke. Sasuke hasn't yet started breathing.

Danzo called the Uchiha massacre and 'incident'. Sasuke breathes out, but his body trembles, his fists curled tight in repressed rage. The massacre wasn't an 'incident'. It was a tragedy. It was his brother, his soulmate, trying to cut ties with his former life.

An entire clan was murdered that night.

Danzo didn't sound very sorry.

"Sasuke?" Naruto whispers from beside him, his hand clenching tightly around Sasuke's sleeve.

"He called it an 'incident'," Sasuke hisses, his teeth clenched. He walks forward, sticking his head out to see if anyone was coming. He turns to Naruto and whispers, "Can you hear anything?"

Naruto's hearing has saved them from getting caught more than once, so Sasuke waits for Naruto to respond, keeping as quiet as he can. Naruto's eyebrows are scrunched together as he does his best to focus. When he shakes his head after a moment, Sasuke pulls him out of the alcove and into Danzo's office.

"Sasuke? What are you doing?" Naruto whispers harshly, glancing around nervously.

They've gone places where they shouldn't have before, but they both know this is different.

They had been messing around in an abandoned corridor in the Hokage tower when Naruto had tripped over himself and gone face first into the wall. His impact had caused the wall to shift and reveal a tunnel. There hadn't even been a discussion before the two of them had wondered into the tunnel. It had been lit well enough that they could walk around without bumping into any of the walls. They didn't go down any of the other halls, the risk of getting lost too high, but rather stayed in the main hall. They had reached the hend of the corridor and only had the choice to turn left and that was when they had discovered the entrance to Danzo's office. They had just opened the door when Naruto had gripped Sasuke's arm and tugged him back a few steps to the shadowed alcove a couple feet away. They had stayed silent the entire time Danzo and the ANBU agent had talked.

They both knew they weren't supposed to be there. They both knew what they were doing was dangerous.

Sasuke didn't care.

"Look for anything that mentions the Uchiha clan," Sasuke whispers to Naruto, turning to go through the filing cabinet next to him.

"What? Why?" Naruto asks even as he turns to do what Sasuke asked.

"Didn't you hear me before? He called the massacre an incident. Said it like one of the other clans could expect something similar to happen," Sasuke says while closing the top drawer and opening the middle.

Naruto says nothing, shfiting through scrolls across the room, humming in response.

"If he knows something," Sasuek continues, his voice cracking, "I want to know what it is."

Naruto stops searchign for a moment, glancing at his shaking figure. Sasuke meets his eyes and he knows that Naruto sees the desperation in them.

Sasuke knows something was wrong that night. He remembers that desolate feeling, the confusion and heartbreak of that night not letting his forget what Itachi felt while he tore Sasuke apart. He's kept his mouth shut, hid away any hope of ever understanding what was really going on, until this moment. Danzo's words had sparked a desperate feeling in Sasuke. He needed to know if there were others who felt like something was off that night.

Sasuke had gone through all the cabinets on his side, searching the scroll titles for anything that clicked, and was feeling more and more depressed as nothing matched. He'd almost given up when he heard Naruto let out a sharp breath.

"What?" Sasuke asks sharply, rushing to Naruto's side.

Naruto keeps staring down at the open scroll in his hands. Sasuke looks over Naruto's shoulder and let's out a choked gasp.

On the scroll in front of them was a painting of the mark that covered Sasuke's back.

Naruto slowly unfurled the scroll in front of them and Sasuke let his eyes roam the script in desperation.

It didn't say much. The words were bigger than Sasuke was used to and they seemed to circle around themselves without actually admitting to what they were describing. One sentence, however, burned itself into his memory.

"Mission objective completed."

Sasuke didn't move even as Naruto suddenly jerked, his eyes wide. He started scrambling around Sasuke whispering curses as he cleaned up around them. Sasuke almost didn't budge when Naruto started trying to push him out the door.

"Sasuke, you stupid bastard, move!" Naruto hissed, shoving him back toward the alcove.

Sasuke complied stiffly, numbly allowed himself to be pushed toward their hiding spot. He enetered first and stared at the wall in front of him. He vaguely heard to voice drifting by them, talking softly about something, before he heard the voice cut off by a door closing.

Sasuke let Naruto drag him out of the alcove and then out of the underground tunnels. He let Naruto check to see if the coast was clear before they stumbled back into the Hokage toward, both of them trailing dirt behind them.

Mission, Sasuke thought absently. The wording on the scroll, right next to the shared soulmark, was mission.

Sasuke stared at the ceiling that night, his mind racing, as dredges of hope he had long thought he'd thrown away started to surface.

* * *

 _A/N: Surprise! Not the chapter originally meant to be written, but an update nonetheless. Next chapter will probably approach Naruto's thoughts a bit more about soulmates and, drumroll, the introduction of Kurama!_


	5. to feel like a monster

**Chapter Summary:** _I'm a monster, Naruto thinks, staring out at the rising sun._

 _Naruto knows that Iruka-sensei doesn't believe that, knows that Jiji believes he should be seen as a hero, but all Naruto can think about is he finally knows why his soulmate never came looking for him._

 **Story warnings apply.**

* * *

Chapter 5: to feel like a monster

Naruto never feels empty. He feels lonely and scared, but never empty. He watches Sasuke deteriorate before his very eyes. He watches Sasuke look past Konoha's walls in longing. He turns his gaze into himself and wonders why he doesn't look anywhere in longing.

Naruto knows his soulmate must be in the village. It isn't hard to figure it out, not once Sasuke explains how distance hurts soulmates. Soulmates just aren't born that far apart. Sasuke started talking about something really complicated, so Naruto tuned him out. It basically came down to 'soulmates can't bare to be that far apart, so the gods always keep them close'.

They have to be close because Naruto never feels the tightening in his chest that indicates soulmate separation.

He's lonely and scared, but never empty.

* * *

Naruto knows he's a monster. He doesn't need others to tell him. Sasuke might say he isn't, but Sasuke is his friend, so Naruto doesn't know if Sasuke is really the best person to be honest to him.

Naruto sees his soulmarks against his cheeks and winces.

He sees something private being displayed for all to see and it doesn't shock him that so many people are scandalized by his presence.

He doesn't realize that it's not his soulmark that gets him called monster.

* * *

His feet are dangling over the edge of the fourth hokage's head as he stares down at the village below him. He knows he's disheveled and his eyes are duller than usual, but he doesn't try to brighten himself up.

Iruka-sensei's headband rests snugly against his forehead and Naruto feels lost for the first time in his life.

 _I'm a monster_ , Naruto thinks, staring out at the rising sun.

Naruto knows that Iruka-sensei doesn't believe that, knows that Jiji believes he should be seen as a hero, but all Naruto can think about is he finally knows why his soulmate never came looking for him.

They must know Naruto hosts a beast in his stomach. They must know that Naruto is no better than the beast jailed within him. They see Naruto and they are reminded of everything they have lost. Everything their fellow villagers went through.

They must be disgusted to be tied to him.

Naruto looks out at the sunrise and watches the light sweep over the walls and then light the village with a red dawn.

He closes his eyes when they begin to burn, tears slipping down his cheeks. He's aware that the thoughts he's currently having aren't good for him, he's not stupid, but he can't stop them. Can't stop the montage of angry voices as they despair over what his prisoner has done.

His tears turn from anguished trails to infuriated ones.

Why was he chosen for this? Why couldn't he be left alone, that way his soulmate would come for him? Why couldn't he be normal and have a nice civillian soulmate who fretted over him when he had to go on missions? Who loved him no matter what stupid thing he said that day?

Why did that stupid fox have to ruin his life?

Naruto falls back, not even wincing when rock digs into his back. He keeps his eyes closed tight as he pushes.

He doesn't quite know what he's doing, what he's pushing at or towards, but he knows he's angry. He's so angry and he needs something to yell at.

When he opens his eyes he's standing in a dank, dark cavern that looks like a sewer. The lighting gives the area a sickly green color and Naruto can just barely make out cell bars several meters in front of him.

He can feel the cold water wetting his ninja sandals and the bottom of his pants as he stares at the cage in front of him.

A big, red eyes stares back from the darkness.

Naruto should be terrified as he stares into that eye. He should be scared like the kid he is. Instead, he's outraged.

"Where do you get off?!" Naruto shouts, finally stomping closer to the bars. "Huh?! _Who do you think you are?!_ "

The eye doesn't even blink as it watches Naruto stomp closer, water sloshing around him.

"You're ruining my life!" Naruto screams, tears pricking at his eyes once more. His hands are clenched into fists and he knows that if he doesn't stop, he'll start bleeding from the indents his nails have dug.

Naruto isn't done, ready to keep on shouting, when a giant furry paw reaches out from behind the bars and swats him away.

Naruto crashes into the water before thumping against the wall. He's more than a little dazed and his shoulder hurts so bad he hiccups. The side of his body that made direct contact with the fox, fur to skin, is on fire.

He still gets up. He still breathes even as he chokes around pained sobs. He still makes his way back to the still outstretched paw.

He glares angrily at the silent demon in front of him, his lip wobbling slightly in pain. "I asked you a question!"

This gets him both eyes instead of just one. He can read the anger and loathing those eyes portray. He can feel the increasing hatred in the red chakra that swirls from inside the prison.

He also feels the distinct feeling of curiosity bubble from the whisker marks on his skin.

He sees the demon fox's paw rise again, the water disturbed by his abrupt movement. Naruto braces himself for another smack, praying he lands in the water again, except he suddenly feels a hand on his face and when he opens his eyes, Sasuke's obsidian gaze is what he meets.

"Sasuke?"

Instead of replying, Sasuke strikes Naruto in his shoulder, causing him to curse.

"What the hell, you bastard?" Naruto hisses, rubbing gently at the already forming bruise.

"I couldn't find you anywhere!" Sasuek shouts, his teeth grinding in anger. "I went back to the house and you weren't there! Hell, I even checked your old ratty apartment!"

Naruto winces because he knows how much Sasuke hates his old apartment. Naruto himself hates it and it's once of the main reasons why Naruto moved in with Sasuke when they were younger.

"Why are you even up here?" Sasuke asks with a huff, folding his arms.

"I'm a monster," Naruto says in reply, making sure to not make eye contact.

Sasuke doesn't say anything at first and Naruto closes his eyes, expecting Sasuke to be gone once he opens them.

Instead he feels Sasuke's foot impact his side. He gasps out as air escapes him and he's left coughing and staring at Sasuke is shock.

"What the hell?" he gasps out.

"Shut the fuck up," Sasuke replies, dropping down beside him.

Sasuke presses up tight against him, their position reminiscent of when they would lay together as young children. It's been a couple years since they've been this close. They still occasionally share a bed when one of them needs the company, but they don't tend to lay on top of each other like Sasuke is doing now.

"You're not a monster," Sasuke says, shushing Naruto when he goes to argue. "You can't be a monster because you're too kind. You care about me and you do your best to make me happy. You're my best friend and I'm not friends with monsters."

"I have the Kyuubi no Kitsune inside of me," Naruto replies blankly, stiffening up his muscles in anticipation for a shocked blow.

It doesn't come.

Sasuke is looking at him, his eyes lazily searching his face for something.

"Okay," Sasuke replies slowly. "It would explain the quick healing and your over abundance of chakra."

Naruto blinks because, "Is that it?"

"What do you want me to do?" Sasuke asks. "Condemn you as a monster? Fuck you. You didn't make the decision to let anything inside you. I can do the math, Naruto. I know when your birthday is and I know when the Kyuubi was defeated- well, imprisoned, whatever; and you couldn't exactly consent as a baby that was only a couple hours old."

Naruto knows that he's crying, again, and he wishes he could stop being such a baby today, but Sasuke's words finally struck him out of his funk.

He didn't make this decision. The grown ups around him, like the fourth hokage, made this decision. He's not a monster because he chooses not to be one. He's Naruto, not the Kyuubi.

He grabs on to Sasuke and squeezes, huffing in delighted laughter as Sasuke squawks in outrage at the hug.

Sasuke eventually rolls off of him and they bask in the morning sun as it shines down on them.

"So, you're gonna be at the academy tomorrow to be assigned teams?" Sasuke asks casually, glancing at his headband.

Naruto grins, "I've got a story I can't wait to tell you."

* * *

 _A/N And there we are, chapter 5! As you can see ,I'm not going to go into detail on every little thing that happens in their lives. The romantic aspects of the story won't pick up until Shippuden rolls around, so there is still a couple more chapters of just Sasuke and Naruto being Sasuke &Naruto._

 _I'm also taking suggestions for soulmate pairings! I have plans already for certain characters, but there are plenty that are open for interpretation! Soulmark ideas are also welcome._


	6. to reach out

**chapter summary:** _Being on a team with Naruto certainly helped deal with his frustration with their pink haired teammate, but it didn't completely erase the feeling of annoyance that raced through Sasuke every time Sakura shouted 'Sasuke-kun!' at him. It certainly didn't help that Naruto had a crush on the pinkette. Sure, she wasn't his soulmate, but Naruto's relationship with his absentee soulmate wasn't a normal one._

 _Neither was Sasuke's._

 **so here is an update. gets us nowhere but watever**

 ** _edit: i dont know my own story so i had to make an edit to this chapter in order to make the last chapter actually fit the rest of the story. the only thing that changed was the description of kakashi's mark_**

 **story warnings apply.**

* * *

Chapter 6: to reach out

Sasuke frowned, eyeing Sakura up and down as she stared at him with heart eyes.

Being on a team with Naruto certainly helped deal with his frustration with their pink haired teammate, but it didn't completely erase the feeling of annoyance that raced through Sasuke every time Sakura shouted 'Sasuke-kun!' at him. It certainly didn't help that Naruto had a crush on the pinkette. Sure, she wasn't his soulmate, but Naruto's relationship with his absentee soulmate wasn't a normal one.

Neither was Sasuke's.

"No," Sasuke grunts.

"But, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouts, her voice high pitched as she whined.

Sasuke twitched slightly, he couldn't help it, and took a glance at Naruto. The blonde was sleeping under a tree, snoring faintly as his fingers twitched. He was probably dreaming about pranking someone, Sasuke thought fondly.

Sasuke sighed tiredly, turning his attention back to Sakura. "Look," Sasuke sighs, feeling a headache start to form, "I'm not your soulmate."

"But how do you know if you won't even look at my mark?!" Sakura shouts, her whine desperate.

Sasuke twitched again, his eye throbbing. He needed to make a decision, he realized. Both Naruto and himself would be stuck with Sakura as a teammate until they reached at least Chunin level. They had to work as a team to get even that far, and having Sakura acting like a lovestruck fangirl would get them nowhere.

She didn't have to know who his soulmate was, afterall, only that he had already met them.

"Sakura, I've already met my match," Sasuke whispers, glancing around just in case.

Sakura pauses, blinking. Her mouth is left open from her previous tirade and she looks shocked. She stares at him for a long moment, taking him in, before she straightens, her back snapping up. She narrow her eyes and really takes him in, maybe for the first time.

Her pale eyes look him up and down, taking in his stance and the look in his eyes. "Oh," she says softly, her shoulders dropping. "Is it…," Sakura started, hesitating for a moment before continuing, "Is it Naruto? Does he have, like, a hidden mark?"

Sasuke isn't surprised at her assumption. Naruto and he had already been close, but once he learned about the Kyuubi, Sasuke had taken to sticking even closer to his best friend. Naruto was being discriminated against, almost constantly, for something he had no control over. Sasuke related.

"No," Sasuke says bluntly. He's not being mean to her, not right now, not when she's finally shutting up and listening. He likes Sakura well enough. She's book smart, which is different from Sasuke's intellectual smarts, and Naruto's improvisation smarts. She's someone who he would gladly have on his team. As long as she shows she's competent.

Sakura is pouting slightly, her arms crossed across her chest. Her mouth is pursed, like she's questioning his answer. "Just, tell me this. Is it Ino-pig?"

Sasuke can't help the snort he lets out. Because, honestly, he was never certain if Sakura's crush had been because she really like him or because Ino did and Sakura wasn't about to let Ino have something she herself could get. He's sure she has a little crush, much like Naruto has on her, but they all know that people who aren't soulmates don't feel that pull that all matches have.

"No," Sasuke finally replies.

Sakura relaxes at that, smiling slightly. Her eyes aren't as relaxed as her posture, far more calculating and hard than the rest of her body language would indicate. She's upset, but not heartbroken, Sasuke thinks. More curious than he would have anticipated.

"Are they in the village?" Sakura asks.

They both know that Sasuke hasn't ever left the village. Not yet, at least.

"Not anymore," Sasuke replies softly, his eyes glazing slightly.

Sakura hums, her eyes darting to Naruto's snoring form. "And Naruto?"

"He feels no pull," Sasuke says stiffly. He has no right to answer questions about Naruto's absent soulmate, but he'd rather Sakura ask him then her go up to Naruto and make him even more depressed over the topic.

Sakura frowns, visibly working through Sasuke's words. "So he's met them?"

"No," Sasuke responds, turning his own gaze to Naruto.

Sakura's frown deepens as she lets out a little wounded sound. Sasuke knows she's not particularly fond of Naruto, but Sasuke's answers have given her enough to know that Naruto's soulmate is absentee. Nobody ever wants to hear that someone is miserable because their other half has chosen not to want them.

Sakura's body suddenly matches her eyes, hard and determined. "I haven't met mine either. We'll just have to go looking for them ourselves."

Sasuke takes her in, letting his slight smile show on his face. "I promised Naruto that I'd help him. I guess adding you to the list won't hurt."

She looks at him with that star struck look, still too soon to be over him, but there's hope there too, shining up at him. "I'd like that."

* * *

Kakashi watches from his hiding spot and tilts his head, his book held loosely in his hand. He hadn't expected the team to start cooperating so soon. They might have passed, but it was by the skin of their teeth, and only because Sasuke treated Naruto like he was his responsibility. This conversation certainly put some new light on their friendship. Sakura had been so in love that she was next to useless. She isn't though. The look she's wearing right now, bright and determined, reminds him so much of Rin that he aches.

His arm throbs at the thought of her and the skin tingles lightly as his mark rubs against his shirt sleeve. The lightning burn that runs up his arm flashed into his mind. The core, settled in his palm, is an icy blue, an almost shiny opulent color, but the farther the mark grows towards his heart, the deader it looks. It is flat and gray where it touches his shoulder. The two colors are a gradient that look incredibly close, so close it takes long observation to see that the mark isn't fully dull and dead. He's never seen someone with a mark that's half dead, but he's not surprised he's the one who holds it. He can't even remember the last time it was whole; always so determined to follow the rules and never concerned with silly personal matters.

He smiles sadly beneath his mask. He drops down from his tree branch and give his best fake grin, raising his hand and waving as he says, "Yo."

* * *

 **A/N: so, hi. this is short and doesn't really advance the plot towards either of them figuring out their soulmate situations, but while sakura wont play a huge part in this story, she's still relevant as their teammate. i used to hate her, but then i got old and realized young ladies did stupid things, so here she is, willing to accept the truth and look for the person who is actually gonna love her like any woman deserves holla**


	7. to make a choice

**woah its been a hot second how are all of you. i didnt know what the hell i was doing and then i started writing the jikan phenomenon and the sasuke bug bit the shit out of me.**

 **Story warnings apply.**

* * *

Chapter 7: to make a choice

Haku and Zabuza are both Unmarked, Sasuke learns after they're dead. Naruto tells him, sniffing and wiping away tears as they stand vigil at the two missing-nins' graves.

He's standing in between Naruto and Sakura, Kakashi a firm presence behind him.

"Haku didn't care," Naruto choked out, staring down at the grave. "He said they were Unmarked together, which meant they were meant to be."

Sasuke's eyes burn with unshed tears. The two might have been their enemies until the end, but they had irrevocably changed the fate of Team 7. They had just decided to start working together as a team when they convinced Kakashi and the Hokage to let them have a C-rank mission. Their teamwork was sloppy still, but there was improvement in that they were all trying to work together.

Facing off against Zabuza while he had their sensei trapped was one of the most terrifying moments Sasuke would live. Hearing Kakashi tell them to run, to leave him behind, made him feel like he was being torn apart all over again.

Facing off against Haku, later on, was another terrifying moment. He was scared, this was his first real fight one on one with another ninja, but he wasn't giving up. Then Naruto showed up and Sasuke watched as Haku aimed his senbon at Naruto and he couldn't. He couldn't.

He finally had his sharingan, something that could truly help him with his search for Itachi and answers, but he throws it away to step in front of Naruto. Because Naruto is his best friend, his constant, and Sasuke can't go on knowing he did nothing to save his first friend.

Sasuke's vision tunneled black as he was held within his best friend's arms and he went peacefully.

Only he woke up.

Now they're all standing in front of two graves, ruminating over their encounters. Sasuke let's Naruto's words penetrate through his mind, allows them to sink in, and ponders them. Haku was one of the cursed, one of the Unmarked, as was Zabuza. They held no mark, had no soulmate. The Unmarked weren't supposed to be discriminated against, not anymore, but this is the real world and no one wanted to deal with the Unmarked. The fact that they found each other, that Haku found someone he obviously thought of as his other half, is something that gives Sasuke pause.

He had been so concerned with fate and soulmates for so long. Itachi was his fated half. His brother was his soulmate. But, Sasuke thinks, fate is cruel. Fate, Sasuke believes, doesn't always get it right.

Sasuke still loves Itachi. Sasuke loathes him just as much, that's true, but he's wanted to be with Itachi since his soulmark first appeared. He's been left behind by his soulmate and Sasuke knows it's only now that he's finally started to heal from the sting of abandonment. Only now that he's seen someone choose a different path does Sasuke realize he could to, if he really wanted.

Sasuke could turn his back on his soulmark, leave it covered for the rest of his life. Find a husband or wife and settle down. Have Naruto by his side, maybe even Kakashi and Sakura as well. He could concede defeat and let Itachi be truly gone from his life. He has that choice.

And he's choosing to chase him.

Sasuke smiles. He's making a choice, here and now. No longer is he doing what he knows he was supposed to, but rather what he wants to. He's going to get stronger, track Itachi down, and fight him. Instead of killing him, however, like Itachi told him to, he's going to force his older brother to listen. He's going to beat Itachi and make him shut up, for once in his life. Sasuke will be in control and he will make Itachi understand that Sasuke had made a choice. The choice to follow him. Tell him that Sasuke knew part of the truth, that Itachi had a mission that he completed with gory efficiency, and that Sasuke couldn't forgive him, not yet, but that didn't mean he would abandon him.

Sasuke made the choice to chase Itachi and he would stick by this conviction.

Naruto, still sniffling beside him, reaches down to grasp his hand in a tight grip. He's shaking slightly, his frame quivering with emotions. Sasuke squeezes his hand and doesn't shake off Naruto's grip. He contemplates his actions for a second before he takes the initiative and takes Sakura's hand as well. She stiffens slightly, his crying becoming muffled for a second before she moves just an inch closer to him. They're all shaken from this encounter, for the direction this mission took, and if Sasuke wants them in his life, he needs to make the effort. He squeezes both of their hands gently.

He glances behind him, catching a glance of Kakashi. Their sensei meets his eyes, his eye conveying a sad smile. He understands, Sasuke knows, that something has shifted in their team dynamic. Kakashi can see it and it makes him equally sad and proud. Sasuke's eyes flicker to the covered half of his face, to where Sasuke now knows lies a sharingan, and meets Kakashi's gaze once more. He tilts his head back, asking a question without speaking.

Sasuke wants to know how Kakashi got it, who gave it to him, because Kakashi wasn't someone who would steal a dojutsu from his own village. He wants to know about the Uchiha Kakashi had known. But, Sasuke is also willing to let it go. He wouldn't have been, not before this mission, but now that he's realized he can make his own choices, not having to do everything as Uchiha Sasuke, but as just Sasuke, he finds he wants Kakashi to tell him because his sensei wants to, not because he feels obligated to.

Kakashi looks at him, takes him in, with a completely serious face. There is no eye smiles or goofy attitude as he shares Sasuke's gaze. Kakashi is also making a choice, Sasuke knows. Kakashi closes his eye and then nods, just for the briefest moment, before he turns his attention back to the graves in front of him.

Sasuke won't ask him now that he knows Kakashi plans on telling him. He'll wait. He doesn't need to know immediately. He just needs to know that Kakashi is just as invested in their team as the three of them are.

Sasuke lifts his gaze and looks out at the scene in front of them. Green and hills fill his vision and he takes it in. He's grown some, after all of this, and he can feel it in his bones that he's taking steps in the right direction. He would train and grow for as long as it took. He would find his brother, his soulmate, and he would get him to confess. He would learn the full truth from Itachi, one way or another.

* * *

 **it took me almost a year to update again. lol i typed this in 15 minutes lololololol**


	8. to form a conclusion

**Chapter Summary:** _He has to fight it, he realizes. He has to fight against this burn not in his own body, but in his soulmate's. Itachi is in excruciating pain, and that's just what he feels through the newly opened bond. He can't begin to imagine what his soulmate must be feeling. He needs it to stop, however, so he has to do something he never wanted to do: embrace the bond._

 **Story warnings apply.**

* * *

Chapter 8: to form a conclusion

Itachi awakes with fire roaring through his veins. He's paralyzed with pain, something he has never experienced before, and he's struggling to fight his own fear.

The heat running through his veins is originating from the left side of his neck. Itachi has to force himself to move his own arm, struggling against the acid like pain his entire body is fighting. He clutches at his neck, trying to find something against his skin that is causing the raging inferno, but he finds nothing.

He's coughing now, gasping wet breaths falling from his lips, as he tries to figure out what the hell is going on. He can vaguely feel Kisame's chakra flicker in what feels like concern and it makes him fight harder. Kisame isn't one to take out a downed ally, but Itachi can't continue to let himself be seen as weak. Kisame doesn't know about Itachi's illness and if he sees him struggling to breath against an internal pain, he might soon start to suspect something.

Itachi continues to run his fingers over where the pain is coming from but is frustrated when he never feels anything. There is no bite or raised mark where anything could've entered his skin.

He is greeted with another wave of pain so harsh that his body goes rigid and he has just enough mind to notice the echo in his head.

 _Oh_ , he thinks. Itachi can't find the wound that is causing him pain because _it isn't his wound_. Itachi has gone seventeen years without acknowledging his soulmate bond and its startling to have it suddenly forced open by such debilitating pain. Itachi had felt the twitch of his bond when he was younger, but he had fought against it, not wanting to know who they were. He had his reasons, had laid out why a soulmate would be a bad idea, and it was only confirmed the night he killed his clan.

Itachi had wanted to avoid a soulmate because he wasn't ready when he first sensed the bond. He was young and had just been promoted to chunin. He hadn't wanted anything distracting him, especially once he moved up and joined ANBU. Then the clan's coup d'état had grown closer and Itachi couldn't protect his own clan, how could he ever protect a soulmate? He saves his little brother because he would always do everything in his power to keep Sasuke alive, and he left Konoha a wanted criminal.

He had felt the bond grow stretched with tension the further he got and it took all of the mental fortitude he had left to bind the bond shut. He couldn't sever a bond, no one could, but he could shut it out. He had left the bond shut and inactive for years until he was suddenly left with a forced open bond and a burning ache running through his body.

He has to fight it, he realizes. He has to fight against this burn not in his own body, but in his soulmate's. Itachi is in excruciating pain, and that's just what he feels through the newly opened bond. He can't begin to imagine what his soulmate must be feeling. He needs it to stop, however, so he has to do something he never wanted to do: embrace the bond.

He does his best to even his breathing, ignoring the wet rattle and the copper taste on his tongue. He doesn't clear his mind, but rather embraces the feelings his body is experiencing. Once he moves through the acid pain, he can suddenly feel a pain that he relates to being bitten. Was his soulmate bitten by a snake? Itachi had never heard of any snake's venom that caused this much pain, but he's not an expert on the situation. He follows this pain just like he followed the other and is rewarded with emotions instead of feelings.

Fear is predominant, curling around his senses. It tastes desperate, cloying against his tongue. His soulmate is in danger and, while fighting, isn't certain of their continued existence. The pain is stopping them thought, leaving them struggling and desperate.

The emotions cloud around him and Itachi is granted access through the bond and is suddenly being forced to look at an image thrusted before him. The first thing he clocks on to is the image of a grass shinobi. On a closer inspection, half of the shinobi's face looks like it's melted and it's the snake like golden eyes that clue Itachi into the fact that his soulmate has just been attacked by Orochimaru.

This information startles him and confuses him in equal measures. Who exactly is his soulmate and how did they gain the attention of the snake Sannin? Another image is shoved into his mind and it makes him go cold.

A pink haired kunoichi is looking down at him, concern and fear causing her eyes to water. It's only a brief flash, not movement or sound, but Itachi doesn't need either of those things to know who she is. He keeps tabs on what goes on in Konoha. He knows everyone who gets within even touching distance of his little brother. The pink haired girl is, without a doubt, Haruno Sakura, his little brother's female teammate.

Which means…

Itachi's focus is lost as his heart goes from calm to erratic, the bond's connection slipping through his fingers. His interference with the pain will have surely gave Sasuke some relief, but Itachi's emotional state is shot and he would be of no more help in keeping it at bay.

Itachi has just seen his little brother attacked by Orochimaru. The snake Sanninn bit his little brother, a memory of Anko's seal mark flashing across his mind, and probably gave him a seal much like his previous apprentice's. Orochimaru was after his little brother.

After his soulmate.

Sasuke was his soulmate. _And Itachi left him_.

Itachi did everything in his power to make Sasuke hate him. To hate his soulmate.

Itachi felt his eyes widen, his gaze swimming as he met the startled and concerned gaze of his Akatsuki partner.

 _Oh, god_ , he thought, nausea swirling through his stomach and up his throat. _Does Sasuke know what a monster his soulmate is?_

* * *

 **y'all wondered when itachi would find out so BITCH GUESS WHAT he finally caught a clue**


	9. to forge a path

**Chapter summary:** "At first, I thought the voice was my mother. Later, when I saw our soulmark, I listened because of that. I don't really know how to not listen to it."

 _Gaara's confession still haunts him days later, wounds bandaged as he stares blankly at the hospital wall in front of him. The Third Hokage was dead, Sakura and Sasuke were hurt, and Gaara's whispered confession echoes in his head on repeat._

 **surprise update! didnt plan on updating this story again any time soon, but i got the idea for this chapter and immediately knew i had to get it out. i know this wasnt sasuke realizing the bond was open, but naruto needed a moment.**

 **story warnings apply.**

* * *

Chapter 9: To forge a path

 _"At first, I thought the voice was my mother. Later, when I saw our soulmark, I listened because of that. I don't really know how to_ not _listen to it."_

Gaara's confession still haunts him days later, wounds bandaged as he stares blankly at the hospital wall in front of him. The Third Hokage was dead, Sakura and Sasuke were hurt, and Gaara's whispered confession echoes in his head on repeat.

The possibility, the potential, rings across his mind, the sound vibrating throughout his skull and causing shivers to go up and down his spine. It was never even a thought of his, that his soulmate wasn't finding him because they _were already there_. He knew he had never experienced separation sickness, but the reason why had always been because his soulmate was somewhere in Konoha, not that they were always with him. Naruto has always been told that you can be judged on who your soulmate is. That if your soulmate is a kind, gentle soul, then you too are kid and gentle. _What does it mean_ , Naruto thinks, _that he has a monster for a soulmate?_

Sasuke sits at his bed side, his bandages freshly removed. The nurse would have already come to remove Naruto's bandages, but Naruto had quietly asked for some time alone with his best friend. He had wasted no time in confessing his worries once the other had carefully sat down. Sasuke had remained silent afterwards, his brow scrunched in thought. He had yet to speak and his continued silence terrified Naruto almost as much as his recent revelation.

"Have you asked?" Sasuke suddenly asks, his voice breaking the foreboding calm. He's rubbing at his curse mark, unconsciously trying to wipe it away as he meets Naruto's eyes. He has a meeting set up with Jiraiya, hope that the legendary sage would have more luck removing it than Kakashi's attempt at simply subduing it.

"Asked who what?" Naruto inquires, glancing warily into his friend's tired gaze.

"The Kyuubi," Sasuke expands. "Have you asked it about your soulbond?"

Naruto raises an eyebrow in disbelief. Of course he hadn't asked the Kyuubi no Kitsune about their possible soulbond. How could he? The demon had made his opinion on Naruto incredibly clear the last time they had met face to face. He makes sure to convey his feelings clearly to a shrugging Sasuke.

"Maybe you should," Sasuke insists, sitting up from his slouched position. "I'm not saying the circumstances don't suck, because they do, but no one really knows why it attacked the village. Maybe there was a reason? We both know that there's more to the village then what most see."

They don't talk about their youthful adventure into the secret catacombs under Konoha, but they do talk about the possibility that there's more to Konoha than smiles and friendly overtures. They are genin, they don't have the power of the resources to find the right answers to unanswered questions, but they know that someone ordered Itachi to do something on the night of the massacre; that he had a mission from a council member named Danzo that was marked complete the night Sasuke's clan was almost erased from existence. This discovery had certainly put a damper on their undying belief in their village's intentions. Does knowing that mean that Naruto should take a different approach with his possible soulmate? Should he ask questions instead of taking the Kyuubi and his actions at face value?

"I'm scared," Naruto blurts out, wide eyes staring back at Sasuke. "I was angry the last time I met with him. I didn't really think about what I was doing. This time—" Naruto doesn't finish. Sasuke of all people will understand Naruto's hesitance. This would be Naruto confronting his soulmate.

"Him?" Sasuke asks after a pause.

Naruto shrugs, helpless. He hadn't thought about it until now, always giving the fox a genderless address, but the more time he gives to it, the more 'he' feels right. The more he ponders, the better he remembers the fire that licked his face when they first touched. The ability to feel the fox's emotions bubbling from his whisker marks. In retrospect, Naruto should've suspected the truth a while ago.

Sasuke purses his lips, once more taking a moment to think over his reply. "You don't want to face him alone," Sasuke starts slowly, "So, why don't I go with you?"

Naruto frowns, immediately shaking his head. "He's inside of me. In my seal. Without releasing him, how in the world are you supposed to meet him?

Sasuke's eyes bleed to red almost immediately and Naruto can instantly feel two different emotions at seeing the spinning Sharingan. One is his, hope and curiosity blending together. The other is completel and utter fury. That burning anger comes from his stomach.

"Worth a shot," Naruto huffs, keeping Sasuke's gaze as he pushes his mind to return to his previous visit to the fox's cage.

* * *

"It's very damp in here," Sasuke says in disgust, glancing around at the sewer like surroundings.

Naruto gives a noncommittal shrug. He doesn't know why his mind is like this, nor what he can do to change it. Sasuke's not wrong, it looks dark and dreary, water below them and above them, dripping down onto them and getting their clothes wet.

Naruto doesn't have to look behind him to know that those giant red eyes are looking at them. Sasuke's gasp and wide-eyed shock are enough of a clue. Warm breath blasts his back, the warmth searing against his clammy skin. Naruto scrambles away from the source, twisting around to return the glare the fox has set on him.

" ** _How dare you_** ," a voice booms from behind the cage, a growl lacing throughout it. " ** _To_** **_actually_** **_bring an Uchiha in here? That cursed clan and their disgusting dojutsu, before me once more_** _._ "

Sasuke's eyes are narrow now and Naruto finds himself matching that glare. "Hey! Stop talking about my friend's family like that!"

" ** _That Sharingan_** ," the Kyuubi spits. " ** _So much power in a single clan's hands. Too much power_**."

Naruto is ready to chock the whole thing up as a mistake, dread and resignation creeping up on him, when Sasuke jerks forward, his fists balled tightly at his side.

"Why do you say that?" Sasuke hisses, meeting the Kyuubi's gaze head on. Sasuke had been touchy about his clan and their reputation since the Danzo incident. He never takes any insult or slight gracefully when it comes to his clan.

" ** _It is your overpowered dojutsu that made me attack Konoha in the first place_** ," the Kyuubi rumbles out, disgust bleeding into the air.

Sasuke goes still, his Sharingan spinning, before his image fades. He must've been shocked enough that he couldn't keep the hold he had on Naruto any longer. Naruto goes to eject himself, following his friend out of his mind, when he pauses. The blood red eyes of the Kyuubi are still watching him, as hostile as ever, but now that Naruto is really paying attention, that curiosity from before is still present.

"What's your name?" Naruto asks suddenly, not aware he was going to ask that until it was already out of him. He hadn't thought about it until now, but he doesn't know the Kyuubi's given name. No one does. He is the Kyuubi no Kitsune; the demon fox. What if he doesn't have a name?

The Kyuubi remains silent, his gaze narrowed and solely focused on Naruto. He doesn't speak again, just stays hidden in the shadows. Naruto eventually scoffs, turning away from the brooding chakra construct. He hadn't wanted to know anyw—

" ** _Kurama_**."

Naruto's entire body shivers at the name. He turns then, getting his first look at his soulmate's huge form. The fox before him is huge, bigger than any building in Konoha, an he looks down on Naruto with frustration and disgust. His nine tails lash out behind him, causing ripples in the already disturbed pool that Naruto stands in. His body is hunched as he stands on all fours, like he's waiting for a specific reaction from Naruto.

Naruto takes him in before nodding, determination flooding him. "It's nice to meet you, Kurama. My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I'm going to be the best soulmate I can be." Naruto releases his hold on his mindscape after that, letting the last thing he sees be Kurama's cautious curiosity.

"The Uchiha had something to do with the Kyuubi attack," is the first thing Sasuke says as Naruto swims back to consciousness.

Naruto almost corrects Sasuke's term usage, about to mutter out Kurama's true name, but he pauses. Kurama had begrudgingly given Naruto his true name, had told him something important to him that no one else knew. Naruto would trust Sasuke with everything he was, but maybe he can have this little tidbit of knowledge for himself. Just until Kurama sees that Sasuke can be trusted with all they are.

"Yeah, that's what it sounds like," Naruto agrees. "But how are we supposed to find out for sure?"

"The village won't share anything, even if they know. The Hokage is dead," Sasuke grimaces slightly at the last part, pain flashing across his face. The third Hokage's funeral was tomorrow, and until they stood in front of his grave, the wound would remain open and fresh, "so he's out as an information source. We're not getting into anything we can't get out of—" Sasuke pauses in the middle of his muttered rant, a hand flying to his neck. He looks conflicted, like his mind is warring with some type of conclusion he's drawn.

"What?" Naruto asks, struggling to sit up in his bed.

"What if I—" Sasuke bites his lips, stopping himself once more.

"What if you what? Just spit it out, Sasuke," Naruto grumbles.

"What if I go to Orochimaru," Sasuke finally proposes, not meeting Naruto's startled gaze. "He knows how to infiltrate a hidden village. He knows things that most others don't. If anyone might know about the Uchiha, it's him."

Naruto immediately opens his mouth to disagree, to shout at Sasuke for even thinking it, but nothing comes out. Naruto hates the idea, loathes it, but there's a niggling thought keeping him from outright rejecting it. They won't find anything in the village. No one will tell them any dark secrets. They are genin; they're not high enough in the ranks to get secrets like that. It could take years of career advancement and delicately asked questions to get even close to answer. If Sasuke leaves, if he goes to Orochimaru, he wouldn't have to be careful with his questions because he would no longer be a Konoha nin.

Naruto struggles to swallow around the dry tightness in his throat. Sasuke would be a missing nin, unable to return home. Whoever the new hokage is, they will order Sasuke be brought back for imprisonment, maybe even death, if he defects now. Sasuke has to knows this. Information can't be the only reason he wants to leave. A flutter of heat from Naruto's whisker marks puts the full picture into view.

Sasuke stays in Konoha for one reason: Naruto. He promised to never leave Naruto alone, so stay with him until they find Naruto's soulmate. Now that they know that Naruto has never been without one, Sasuke's bond must be aching. Sasuke is without his soulmate, constantly, and that empty feeling must be more prevalent than usual. Naruto doesn't want Sasuke to leave, but with that in mind Naruto can feel his resolve solidify.

"You go to him," Naruto encourages. "You get stronger. Find Itachi and get to the bottom of whatever the hell is going on with your clan. I'll be here. I'll get stronger too. And when you finally make your way home, I'll be there at the gates. I'll be in the hokage robes, ready to welcome you _both_ back."

Sasuke's eyes are glistening with unshed tears, but Naruto doesn't say anything. His eyes are also suspiciously wet, his hands trembling as he reaches out to grasp Sasuke's. Their hands are clammy against each other, but they hold on tight, keeping some of the trembling at bay. Their new path is scary, too many unknowns, but now that they're at this fork, they need to tread their individual paths. Sasuke needs to leave to discover the truth of his family. Naruto needs to stay in the village, not only because two missing nin is far more intolerable than one, but because Sasuke can no longer do anything for Naruto's soulmate search. It's up to him to forge a strong connection with Kurama.

They keep their hands clasped together until the nurse finally comes to remove Naruto's bandages.

* * *

 **hope you enjoyed~ next chapter will be updated whenever i know what its about lolol. i believe this might be the longest chapter of the story?**


	10. to feel relief

**Chapter Summary:** _Snapshots of major players & impressions of what the future holds._

 **so im sure you've noticed that the story is marked as complete. fear not; i realized that the last chapter was a sound place to stop, so i threw this together and im leaving it as a part 1 of the series. this story follows the sasunaru friendship aspect, as well as the beginnings of their romantic relationships. the next part, posted in the future, will follow shippuden and the subsequent canon divergence that is only now becoming apparent.**

 **Story warnings** **apply.** _Enjoy~_

* * *

Chapter 10: to feel relief

Sasuke leaves at night, a soft drizzle falling onto his head as he stares out towards the village gates. Naruto is by his side, the blonde's wet hair sticking to his forehead as he silently offers support.

It had been hard coming to the conclusion he had, accepting the fact that he would have to leave the village, and subsequently Naruto, behind. He didn't want to leave his best friend; the exact opposite actually. Something had shifted within Naruto in the past month, his demeanor more quiet and thoughtful as he gained a far off look on his face, as if he could hear and reply to something that no one else could.

Sasuke had a pretty good idea on who the voice belonged to.

Yet, he said nothing. Naruto's soulmate was none of Sasuke's business. If he could somehow work out a relationship with a chakra construct, then it was more power to him.

"You have everything?" Naruto asks quietly, glancing at Sasuke through the corner of his eye.

"Yeah," Sasuke replies just as softly, meeting his gaze.

"Do what you gotta do," Naruto mumbles, laying a reassuring hand on his shoulder before pulling away.

Sasuke takes in a deep breath before releasing it, scanning the wall for an opening before springing forward and leaving Konoha behind him.

* * *

Naruto exists in a daze the first week Sasuke is gone. No one notices at first, no alarm raised. Sasuke is still off the mission roster due to his injuries from Gaara and Kakashi-sensei has taken every excuse he can to be lazy with their training. Jiraiya had mentioned a training trip at one point, so Naruto spends some time thinking about that, wondering what exactly the sage would teach him while outside of the village.

He gave a brief thought about whether the sage would tell him about his parents.

It's not every day that you learn your soulmate was caught in a genjutsu that forcibly made him attack your home before effectively killing your parents while they tried to protect you.

It would leave anyone with issues they needed to work through. Naruto had kept his parentage revelation from Sasuke, mostly just because he still wasn't quite processing the fact that he was the son of the fourth hokage, but also because he didn't want Sasuke to harbor any more hatred for his soulmate. Kurama was rude and angry, but he mattered to Naruto more than anything in the world. It was a slow process, but if the training trip lasts as long as Jiraiya says it will, Naruto will have plenty of time to work his soulmate up into a more positive being.

Maybe.

* * *

Itachi's mood darkens as he sits quietly in front of the campfire, ignoring Kisame's loud snores from a few feet away. It had taken a lot of work to get reassigned a different jinchuriki as a target. When he had heard Pein planning a mission for Itachi and Kisame to abduct the nine-tails jinchuriki, Itachi had felt the swelling panic almost overwhelm him. He still had ways of gathering information, so he was well aware of the close relationship of Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. If they had been forced to hunt the kid down, Itachi would inevitably run into Sasuke, forcing a confrontation that he now never wanted to happen.

He shifted, rubbing slightly at his chest at the full ache he could feel there. Now that he had opened and acknowledged his soulmate bond, his illness was almost completely gone; no more coughing up blood or loss of breath due to liquid in his lungs. Now he was constantly plagued an ache in his chest, the bond between him and his brother pulling him towards his soulmate. He was getting used to ignoring it, never acknowledging how much it hurt during the day and only vaguely trying to sooth himself at night, once he was positive Kisame wasn't going to catch him in the act.

He closes his eyes, calm washing over him as he opens the bond just the slightest bit, basking in the sleepy contentedness the traveled through the bond from Sasuke.

The soulmate he will do everything to never see again.

* * *

Kurama knows from the moment he's sealed inside the kit that something was amiss. Kurama had never felt comfortable in any of his previous hosts body's, though there were only two. While not seething with hatred, he briefly considered that maybe it was because they were women, and his newest host was male, but he never pursued the thought, mostly focused on trying to force his boiling chakra through the bars and seal that kept him contained.

Touching the boy for the first time dissuaded him of the sex of his host having anything to do with it.

It was like hugging his father again; that sense of familiarity and peace. It was the bubbling feeling of acceptance, rather than hatred. It was feeling whole, being complete, something he hadn't felt since both his ying and yang halves had been separated all those years ago.

Talking with Naruto makes him believe in the boy and it infuriates him. He resists the Uzumaki's efforts, growling and roaring whenever the boy appears and tries to converse with him, but he can already feel his resolve crumble.

Every time he sees the whisker marks on the blonde's face, his entire being trembles with want.

* * *

"It's a dull world we live in when our soulmates die," Obito states, idly looking out into the dreary rain that constantly plagues Ame.

Pein is beside him, Rinnegan eyes focused intently on him as Nagato's path pretends to be a real boy. Obito smiles grimly behind his mask, brief amusement flashing across his mind as he watches Nagato's eyes on Yahiko's body.

"It must have hurt when Yahiko was gone," Obito says, his words purposefully hurtful.

Pein says nothing.

"I know what it's like, you know," Obito says, his voice growing darker. "To watch your soulmate die in front of your eyes. To wish more than anything that it was someone else. To wish it didn't have to be that way. That's why we're doing this, Nagato; to change things."

"Yes, Madara-sama," Pein replies, Nagato's even tone giving the path's words a humoring undertone. Obito ignores it, turning his attention back to the window and the storm outside.

It was a small setback that he had to get Itachi reassigned, but if he wants things done right, he supposes he'll just have to do them himself. He'll simply have to go after the kyuubi jinchuriki himself, when the time is right.

 _Soon, Rin_ , he thinks, ignorant and numb to the way his dull grey marks hold a bluish tint and a faint tingling of lightning.

* * *

 **so in the original draft i never put much thought to obito's soulmate but i love drama and if you picked up the hints im laying down, kakaobi is very much going to be a thing in the sequel. not a main part, but im going to hurt them to the best of my ability ehhhh.**

 **i dont know when the sequel will come out, as this has taken me three months to upload, but im looking forward to picking up the romantic aspects of the story.**


	11. sequel posted

at the suggestion of TigrezzTail, this is a chapter informing the followers of this story that the sequel to this story is up: **To change fate**


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